How is a Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection treated?
A healthcare provider will usually recommend antibiotics to treat a Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. They may prescribe one or more of the following:
- Aztreonam.
- Carbapenems.
- Ceftazidime.
- Ciprofloxacin.
- Gentamicin.
- Ticarcillin.
- Ureidopenicillins.
You may take these antibiotics orally (as a pill with water), topically (as a cream or gel you apply to your skin), via eye drops or intravenously (through a needle in a vein). You may have to take antibiotics for several weeks or even months, depending on the severity of your infection.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections are growing resistant to different types of antibiotics, especially if you get an infection from a hospital or other healthcare facility. It’s very important that you take the antibiotics exactly as your provider prescribes and finish the full course, even if you feel better. If you don’t, a Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection can return and be more challenging to treat.
Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa
A small subset of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria is resistant to carbapenem antibiotics (carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, or CRPA). They produce carbapenemases. Carbapenemases are enzymes that prevent carbapenem and other beta-lactam (β-lactam) antibiotics from working. Most available antibiotics don’t work against carbapenemase-producing (CP) CRPA. CP-CRPA can share the genetic code for carbapenemases with other bacteria, which rapidly spreads resistance.
Currently, CP-CRPA isn’t common in the United States. Healthcare providers try to limit the spread of infections by identifying multidrug-resistant organisms and working to prevent transmission in the U.S.
Can a Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection go away?
If you don’t have any symptoms or if your symptoms are mild, your Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection will probably go away without treatment.
Serious Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections won’t go away without treatment and can lead to life-threatening complications.
How soon after treatment will I feel better?
If you have a mild Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, you should start to feel better a few days after starting treatment. It may take weeks or even months to recover after a severe infection.
